Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: dennis.l.erlich@support.com
Subject: COPYRIGHT AND SECRECY
Message-ID: <9602061021.0EK6R01@support.com>
Organization: L.A. Valley College Public BBS (818)985-7150
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Distribution: world
Date: Tue, 06 Feb 96 10:21:53 -0800
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carroll@aimnet.com (Terry Carroll)

>I believe
>that the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion requires
>immunity from liability of trade secret misappropriation if the secret
>is used in a competing religious context.  
 
    Well stated.  Trade secret claims have been uniformly met 
    with a cool reception by the Federal bench.  How about a 
    widening of the "fair use" provisions of the Copyright act 
    in the same context?  Do you feel that greater immunity 
    from limitations on speech should be granted in the context 
    of religious criticism?

>I also think that there's
>an excellent argument that the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of
>expression requires a similar immunity for revelation of the secrets
>as part of a good-faith criticism of the secrets.  
 
    Again, should these same protections relate to alleged 
    violations of the copyright ownership claims of religious 
    skripture, when those supposedly tortuous acts were in fact 
    good-faith criticisms?

>I note, however,
>that the Ninth Circuit apparently disagrees with me.
         
    We live in dismaying times.

>Terry Carroll      
 
          Rev. Dennis L Erlich   * * the inFormer * *
                 <dennis.l.erlich@support.com>
                     <inForm@primenet.com>
                      
  "There are two classes of citizen in the US: those who can 
   afford 'equal justice under the law' and the rest of us."